Henceforward: Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
ALAN Ayckbourn wrote this futuristic comedy in 1987, a few years after Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and a few years before Yasmina Reza’s Art. Remarkably, it covers similar ground to both – and has equally stood the test of time.
This new production is directed by the author, and his vision still feels contemporary. We witness the challenges posed by isolation, violent societies, gender issues, peer pressure, artistic arrogance and, crucially, Artificial Intelligence.
The busy, but compact, set represents a fortress flat "in the near future". Self-obsessed composer Jerome (the excellent Bill Champion) has acquired a discontinued rogue "nanny" robot (exquisitely portrayed first by Jacqueline King, then Laura Matthews). He hopes to use the android in his bid to regain custody of his teenage daughter – with the inevitable farcical consequences. This being theatre, things do not go smoothly. This being Ayckbourn, there is a very dark side indeed.
The bleak dystopia may be North London, not Scott’s Los Angeles, and the "art" may be music rather than Reza’s painting, but Ayckbourn manages to evoke fears for the future and analyse creativity, friendship and loyalty just as convincingly – and, arguably, more entertainingly. Yet again Ayckbourn does what he does so well – makes you laugh, even when it hurts to do so. It’s a gem, and the fact that it’s still pertinent nearly 30 years on makes it all the more impressive.
* Runs until October 8. Tickets, priced from £10 to £24.50. Box Office: 01723-370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Gilly Collinson
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